Beneficence is the ethical principle that calls on nurses to take actions that promote the well-being of their clients.
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Beneficence
Beneficence means doing good, or acting for the benefit of the client. It differs from nonmaleficence, which is the duty to avoid causing harm.
Category: Ethical Principles
Question 2
Because many drugs leave the body in urine, the nurse monitors how well the kidneys are working to prevent a drug from building up to toxic levels.
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kidneys
The kidneys excrete many drugs and their metabolites in urine. When kidney function declines, those drugs accumulate, so failing to monitor kidney function is a recognized cause of preventable drug harm.
Category: Error Prevention
Question 3
Because the liver is the main organ that metabolizes drugs, the nurse monitors its function to prevent drug toxicity.
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liver
The liver breaks down most drugs into metabolites that the body can eliminate. Liver disease slows this process, so drug levels can rise to toxic amounts unless therapy is adjusted.
Category: Error Prevention
Question 4
Interoperability is the ability of electronic health record systems at different institutions to exchange client information.
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Interoperability
Interoperability allows records to move between providers and facilities so information follows the client. Federal programs that began as meaningful use now focus on promoting it.
Category: Health Informatics
Question 5
The Joint Commission's Do Not Use list bans certain abbreviations, shortened forms of words such as U for unit, from medication orders because they are easily misread.
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abbreviations
Abbreviations such as U, IU, QD, and MS have caused serious errors when misread; U can look like a 0 or a 4. Writing the full word, such as units or daily, removes the risk.
Category: Error Prevention
Question 6
Informatics, one of the QSEN competencies, uses technology to communicate, manage knowledge, reduce error, and support decision making.
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Informatics
Informatics combines information and computer science with nursing science. Electronic records, barcode scanning, and clinical alerts are everyday examples of it supporting safe drug administration.
Category: Health Informatics
Question 7
A contraindication is a condition, such as a documented allergy, that makes a particular drug unsafe for a client to receive.
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contraindication
A contraindication is a reason not to give a drug. Electronic order systems can place a hard stop on an order when one is documented, and giving a drug despite a known one counts as a medication error.
Category: Error Prevention
Question 8
A nurse who questions an unsafe order on a client's behalf is acting as the client's advocate.
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advocate
An advocate speaks up for the client's safety, rights, and wishes. Withholding a drug that assessment shows is unsafe and contacting the prescriber is a common example in medication administration.
Category: Ethical Principles
Question 9
Signed into law in 1996, HIPAA led to national standards for protecting the privacy and security of client health information.
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HIPAA
HIPAA is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. The 1996 law directed the creation of the Privacy Rule, which protects identifiable health information in any form, and the Security Rule, which protects electronic health information; both were issued in the years that followed.
Category: Privacy and Confidentiality
Question 10
Anaphylaxis is a severe, life-threatening drug reaction marked by airway constriction and a sudden drop in blood pressure.
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Anaphylaxis
Anaphylaxis is the most dangerous form of allergic reaction. Because it can rapidly block breathing and cause shock, it needs emergency treatment.
Category: Drug Reactions
Question 11
The Affordable Care Act expanded Medicaid, the joint federal and state health insurance program for people with low incomes.
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Medicaid
Medicaid is funded by both federal and state governments and covers people with limited income. Expanding it was one of the Affordable Care Act's main ways of reducing the number of uninsured people.
Category: Health Care Legislation
Question 12
The ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses is organized into 9 provisions that describe the profession's values, duties, and goals.
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9
The American Nurses Association Code of Ethics has nine provisions. They set out the nurse's commitments to clients, to themselves, and to the profession and society.
Category: Ethical Principles
Question 13
The QSEN initiative names 6 competencies, including safety and teamwork, that every nurse is expected to develop.
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6
Quality and Safety Education for Nurses lists six competencies: patient-centered care, teamwork and collaboration, evidence-based practice, quality improvement, safety, and informatics. QSEN was created after the 1999 report To Err Is Human drew attention to health care errors.
Category: Culture of Safety
Question 14
Insulin is a high-alert medication because an overdose can cause severe hypoglycemia.
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hypoglycemia
Hypoglycemia is an abnormally low blood glucose level. Because too much insulin can drop glucose to dangerous levels quickly, insulin is on the ISMP high-alert list and often requires an independent double-check.
Category: Error Prevention
Question 15
In pharmacology, risk is the probability that an action, such as giving a drug, will cause harm.
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risk
Risk is weighed against benefit, the drug's potential to treat disease or improve quality of life. Providers reassess this balance before and throughout drug therapy.
Category: Medication Safety